10 Implementation of the Pitt Review
118. The Pitt Review's final report will be published
in the summer of 2008. It will produce a series of costed recommendations
to Government, and other organisations.[208]
Defra is responsible for co-ordinating the overall response to
the Review.[209] In
evidence, however, the Department was not specific about how the
final conclusions would be implemented—beyond saying the
Department's plans and resource allocations would be transparent,
and pressure would be maintained by the public and Members of
Parliament.[210]
119. Defra has received criticism for its implementation
of previous flood-related reports. CIWEM told us that lessons
from previous reviews had been "noted rather than actually
learned or acted upon".[211]
The Agency also expressed concern about the pace of implementing
some Making Space for Water measures.[212]
Our views
120. Sir Michael Pitt's final report is likely to
make a whole host of recommendations to a wide variety of organisations,
and the programme of implementation is likely to last many years.
It is Defra's responsibility to co-ordinate this and force the
pace of implementation. We are concerned that Defra has not been
able to assure us that implementation of Sir Michael Pitt's report
will be monitored in a robust manner. We are also concerned that
the Department's target to make £96 million of efficiency
savings in its flood and coastal erosion risk management programme
by 2010-11—which the Department acknowledges may impact
the Agency's workforce size—may affect its ability to carry
out its Pitt Review responsibilities.[213]
121. Following
the publication of the Pitt Review's final report, the Department
must publish a costed and prioritised action plan to set out the
timetable for implementing Sir Michael Pitt's findings.
It would also be regrettable to lose the experience Sir Michael
Pitt has on this issue. We
recommend that the Government request that Sir Michael Pitt be
given a role within the Environment Agency to ensure the implementation
of his findings. These measures should
reassure the public—especially those who have been flooded—that
the Government is addressing this issue and ensuring it remains
a high priority, even when flooding has dropped down the news
'agenda'.
208 Q 700. Pitt Review, Learning the lessons from
the 2007 floods, December 2007, p 6. Back
209
Q 992 [Defra] Back
210
Q 988 Back
211
Ev 479 Back
212
Q 2. Natural England also expressed concern at the slow implementation
of Making Space for Water projects related to sustainable
flood defence solutions [Ev 273]. Back
213
Defra, Value for Money Delivery Agreement Comprehensive Spending
Review 2007, February 2008, p 3. Back
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